Disturbing that he played 75+ minutes with a concussion. I realize that symptoms don't always present immediately, but this has been a recurring problem in the sport...there is a dangerously lax attitude toward head injuries.
So let's ditch training and just hit the players round the head with a baseball bat if it makes them play better.
He's been a diving cheat that makes Delli Ali look honest for years and the refs have ignored it. What makes you think they will suddenly open their eyes?
Match day! Hoping for a good result. A solid performance against Man U last week and a win at home tonight could rally some of the team and take some pressure off of Pel'. I swear if Long starts again though . He's not scoring but his pace and ability to harass defenders makes him the perfect impact sub for the last 30 minutes. Gabbiadini really needs a solid game. Hard to judge him when he is brought on late to feed on the scraps at the end of the match.
The issue with diving cheats has come from the fans via the media and is growing. The problem comes from ex players in the media who constantly fail to condemn this growing practice. Most ex players are apologists for present players poor behaviour with "he was entitled to go to ground", "there was contact", "he was moving so fast he lost his balance with that contact" etc etc.
agree with you. 'there was contact' is now heard daily from pundits. a defender brushes the arm of a forward which causes his legs to collapse! Will never forget Alan Shearer telling us all players were 'entitled to go down'.
Change the rules: only contact that denies a goalscoring opportunity results in a penalty, whereas it is otherwise an indirect free kick. Most of the diving happens in circumstances where the attacking player isn't particularly close to scoring a goal; if the dive is a 50/50 proposition to get called, it vastly increases the chances of a goal being scored, so it's in many respects a sensible decision. Meanwhile, indirect free kicks from 12 yards are silly fun and should happen more, but they produce goals at a lower rate than penalties, so there is less incentive to dive to win one.
Schad, your opening sentence suggests that contact in football is not allowed. Are we advocating it being a non-contact sport? Contact does not automatically mean a foul. Anywhere on the pitch.
WH will be a big miss up against Benteke. Always felt that JS and Yoshida struggled against the bigger more physical strikers.
I feel a little ridiculous writing this as its only January (cue barrage of abuse) but this match feels like its a 6-pointer given our current position and that of the opponent. Really feel that we need to win this one.
I agree with Wenger. Our refs are no better now than when we had teachers and coppers doing it as a hobby. Refs rule the game when it is progress. They decide when a player has been fouled not some full of himself crap TV pundit.
It is right to consider this a 6 pointer...even though there are plenty of matches left. 1. We are sliding perilously close to the bottom three....could be 17th tonight. 2. At the same time, other 'at risk' clubs are getting results....would be hard to pick 3 clubs definitely worse than us if we lose. 3. The psychological effect for good or ill will be huge after tonight's match. Although important to both clubs, we need this more than Palace....they have been on a good run and I'm sure they will be safe. Time for a performance from us with no cowardice in the face of the enemy. COYR
